Bringing Good News from Ghent to Aix, or Wellington to The World <g> (Follow-up to some issues mentioned, for instance, at Electrolite: If this be error. August 13, 2004, or Electrolite: Constituency politics at work. February 19, 2004)

New Zealand Herald story - Civil Unions Bill passed
UPDATE - The Civil Unions Bill has been passed by Parliament. From April 26 next year couples can commit themselves to the new civil union.
Parliament voted 65-55 to pass the controversial legislation which has polarised opinion and split political parties ... The bill also applies to heterosexual couples, but it does not change the Marriage Act which still applies only to men and women ...
The minister in charge of the bill, David Benson-Pope, said the legislation took nothing away from marriage. "Once this bill is passed, and the sky doesn't fall in, the opposition to it will very quickly evaporate," he said.
"It gives the simplest of things -- the formal recognition and respect by our laws for the individual choices of New Zealanders."
- NZPA

New Zealand Passes Law Giving Marriage Rights to Gay Couples
Text of the Civil Union Bill

New Zealand government press release
Hon David Benson-Pope
09 December 2004
Passing of Civil Union Bill shows growing maturity of our nation (BTW 'the official Website of the New Zealand Government' is called www.beehive.govt.nz )
[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 12/10/2004 02:17:00 am